This invention relates to a driver control module for a mobile vehicle such as medium or heavy duty truck, the vehicle with the driver control module installed, and the process of installing the driver control module into a vehicle. The driver control module contains the steering column, brake, clutch, and accelerator pedals, and brake valves. The module may be easily installed in openings on either the right or left sides of a symmetrical dash panel of a vehicle cab depending on whether the vehicle is right hand or left hand drive. A cab air conditioning module is installed on the opposite side opening of the driver control module thereby reducing assembly line efforts. The driver control module may be separately assembled, brought to the main assembly line as a unit and readily installed on the vehicle on the line as a unit.
In the prior art, driver control modules did not include the steering column for steering wheel mounting, the driver-operated brake, clutch, and accelerator pedals, and brake valves. Engineers needed to design separate installation for these components and assembly line workers had to separately install the components during vehicle installation. Left hand drive and right hand drive vehicles had to be separately designed. Components were not interchangeable. In Class 5 to 8 medium and heavy-duty trucks, the steering column was attached to an intermediate shaft that passed through the bulkhead to the engine area. Air lines from manually operated brake valves such as the push-pull double check valve had to be run through holes cut through the cab bulkhead. This involved considerable extra effort and labor.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a driver control module which contains the steering column, the driver operated pedals, and the brake valves for the vehicle for easy installation into a dash of a cab.
The primary object of the invention as well as others not mentioned are satisfied as follows. The Driver Control Module (DCM) will have a pedestal stamping or which is engaged to an inboard side of a dash engagement piece. Inboard refers to inside of the cab of the vehicle where the driver resides during vehicle operation. The steering column, brake and clutch pedals, if manual transmission operated, and turn signal may be mounted to the pedestal stamping. The accelerator pedal may be mounted either directly to the dash engagement piece or to an auxiliary engagement piece. The mounting location for accelerator contains a hole pattern which will allow various accelerator pedal installations depending on the configuration of the cab.
The pedestal mounting will contain at least two essentially parallel and upstanding vertical mounting surfaces running along the length of the vehicle, when the DCM is installed. The mounting surfaces each contain a mounting hole for a tube within a tube brake clutch mounting arrangement. One tube is engaged to the brake pedal and will operate the vehicle brakes through either air or hydraulic valves depending on if the brakes are air or hydraulically operated. In the preferred embodiment, a clutch tube will run within the brake tube separated by a bushing to allow separate movement of the brake and clutch tubes respectively. The bushing may contain bearing surfaces on the inside and the outside to allows simultaneous independent rotation of the both the brake and clutch tubes. Which tube is within the other tube may be reversed. The tubes are mounted horizontally between and to the vertical mounting surfaces. The brake pedal is engaged to the brake tube and when depressed or released the brake tube will rotate to translate the motion to operate the respective brake valves. The brake valves are engaged to an outboard side of the dash engagement piece. Operation of the brake tube may transfer mechanical energy to operate the brake valves via plungers that transfer rotational energy to back and forth movement for actuation. Clutch pedal operation will rotate the clutch tube to operate disengage or engage the clutch of the vehicle to allow shifting.
The vertical mounting surfaces may also have a stiffening arm that will be engaged to an inner portion of the cab for support. The stiffening arm may be engaged between both mounting surfaces and to the cab when the DCM is installed. The vertical mounting surfaces may also include switch slots for cruise control reed switches. The reed switches allow the operator to disable or enable cruise control with interlocks to vehicle starting.
The dash engagement piece may be symmetrically shaped as well may be the dash panel itself. The dash panel is part of the cab frame. The holes in the dash panel may be sized on both the right and left sides to allow installation of the dash engagement piece to either side for left or right hand drive vehicles respectively. This allows both left hand and right hand drive vehicles to be manufactured on the same assembly line with little or no impact on production time.
There are parallel steering column engagement arms engaged to the vertical-mounting surfaces. The steering column is mounted to and between the column engagement arms. The steering column contains at least one engagement means on each side for engagement to each column engagement arm. The steering column is long enough to pass through the dash engagement piece. When installed, the steering column is then engaged to an intermediate steering piece that is then engaged to a steering gear. The steering column is engaged to a through wall bushing at the engagement piece. The steering column may have a turn signal module integrated to it. Additionally, for trailer pulling vehicles, the steering module may have the trailer hand control integrated. Integration into the DCM will allow installation of these components separate from the main assembly line thereby saving time. The DCM steering column may also use a clock spring to ensure continuity of electricity to the collision event initiated driver air bag.
The dash engagement piece contains passageways for the steering column and the operators of the brake valves. Additionally, there is hole for a fill-in gland that allows passage of the air tubing from the brake valves and the push-pull double check valve and other cab operated air valves. There may also be an air pass through slot for installation of a block with push-to-connect type air connectors. The connectors would be on both the inboard and outboard side of the block and hence in the cab and outside the cab.
The DCM is assembled separate from the vehicle main assembly line. The DCM is brought to the line as a unit and dropped into position in the left or right engagement location in the dash panel. The dash engagement piece may have fasteners already installed that are then bolted into place on the dash panel.